Although the agreement will only come into force next year, Colombian Agriculture Minister Juan Camilo Restrepo has called on sectors of the Colombian economy to begin preparations.

Restrepo said, “there are sub-sectors that face challenges and threats, like rice and dairy production, we have to work intensely to prepare ourselves to re-engineer these sectors in such a way that they are ready to compete.”

The minister added that certain government sectors also had to prepare to meet new standards, such as sanitary and customs requirements.